Battery and cooler weather

[skipsmith521]

Does cooler weather cause batteries to deplete faster while driving? What about colder weather on a carts pack charge just sitting over time?

Thx

Skip

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[yamahaguy97]

I believe it does and I guess that would depend on how long you were driving it for. If the car is just sitting the weather will still have an effect. Depends just how cool or cold you mean too

[kernal]

Originally Posted by skipsmith521

Does cooler weather cause batteries to deplete faster while driving? What about colder weather on a carts pack charge just sitting over time?

Thx

Skip

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

Most definitely. As you can see by the chart, batteries have rated capacity at 80°F and loose capacity as battery temp drops. They are down 20% at 40°F as an example. Also they produce better than rated capacity above 80°. I have observed that what ever gage/meter you use to monitor battery state of charge will drop faster in cool temps and slower in warm temps over the same distance.
After 17 years of golf cart ownership the scenario for me goes like this: Atlanta weather and golf cart is garaged. Cart is used like a car and goes over multiple routes over and over again. Weather cools off in the fall but the batteries are big slugs and react slowly to the ambient change because it is garaged and frequently charged. I am used to the batteries over performing in the Hot summer. Eventually the batteries catch up to the much cooler ambient temps and the perception is that all of a sudden the SOC meter drops much faster over the same route. The difference can be shocking and the knee jerk reaction is to assume batteries nearing end of life. I believe i retired a perfectly good battery pack one year before I learned about this. I am ready for this every rear now but it still gets my attention.
Your experience could be significantly different depending on how you use/store your cart and the weather it is used in.

[55BigBlock]

Batteries usually fail in colder weather. Many people in colder areas install heating mats under their vehicle batteries.

[JohnnieB]

Originally Posted by skipsmith521

1. Does cooler weather cause batteries to deplete faster while driving?

2. What about colder weather on a carts pack charge just sitting over time?

1. Yes
2. The self-discharge rate is slower in cooler weather.

The electricity produced by a battery is the result of a chemical reaction and the lead-acid chemistry is more active when the battery is hot than it is when the battery is cold.

A battery's storage capacity, amp rate and lifespan are rated at 77°F and when the battery temperature is above 77°F, it effectively stores more electrical energy and can produce amps at a higher rate, at the expense of a shorter lifespan. Conversely, at the battery's temperature less than 77°F the storage capacity and amp production rate are lower while it doesn't age as fast.

The attached is a pretty good non-technical overview.